Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church

When the Trois-Pistoles community asked the bishop for permission to build the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church in 1881, they knew what they wanted, both in terms of location and appearance. The village was then on its fifth church. In those days, it was common for a parish to change its place of worship several times as the population grew or moved. 

The first three more rudimentary churches were built along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, near what is now the tennis court. To protest against the Church’s favouritism of the Lower Village, parishioners erected their own place of worship up on the hillside, without any architectural plans. This “guerre des clochers,” or steeple war, was often a source of inspiration for Trois-Pistoles’ most famous writer and playwright, Victor-Lévy Beaulieu.

Despite its unstable structure, this fourth house of worship became the official church. A few years later, the current church was built next to the fourth church, on the site of the cemetery, which was relocated.

Architect David Ouellet took the project seriously. When the diocese asked him to take out the overly extravagant elements from his plans, he threatened to quit. In 1882, work began on this opulent wood and stone church, which would be recognized as one of his most successful creations. The designer was right to stand by his work, as his project has now been named an outstanding heritage treasure. 

A shining example of eclectic architecture that borrowed from a variety of styles, the church stands out for its five steeples, an uncommon luxury in the Belle Province. Its lantern-tower at the transept crossing also adds magnitude to the structure. Contractors J. Hubert Morin and Augustin Audet carried out the work. 

The prolific Louis Jobin created three enormous sculptures for the façade’s steeples, where they braved winds and storms. On the north tower, the depiction of St. Michael the Archangel withstood many storms until it unfortunately fell in 1988. Artisans from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli made an acrylic reproduction of the work. The original statue, made of red cedar and covered with a lead cloth, can still be admired in the church’s rood loft. In 2013, the Madonna and Child, St. Francis Xavier and once again St. Michael the Archangel were all taken down for a “facelift” at the Centre de conservation de Québec. In June 2014, the three statues were returned to their respective steeples while the city’s residents looked on in amusement.

With the same amount of pride and budget as David Ouellet, a team led by Joseph-Pierre Ouellet tackled the interior decor at the turn of the 19th century, using plans drawn up by Canon Georges Bouillon. An expert in the Gothic Revival style, this self-taught architect, who had previously designed Montréal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, opted for a Baroque Revival décor instead since it was more in keeping with the exterior. Featuring numerous carved, gilded and light-coloured elements, the installation also included previously unseen pieces, such as a tribune opening onto the chancel and a baldachin, now lit by 900 lightbulbs. The pulpit, built by Simon Lavoie, a 20-year-old local artisan, was added in 1903. A Casavant organ was installed in 1905. 

Some elements that were saved when the earlier churches were demolished were also incorporated into this sumptuous building. These include the high altar carved in 1802 by François Baillairgé and La Madone des anges [Madonna of the Angels] by the important Italian painter Carlo Maratta.

Surrounded by all this splendour, the Stations of the Cross couldn’t be ordinary. Narcisse Rioux, a wealthy Québec City merchant who was born in Trois-Pistoles, acquired and generously donated paintings by Alexandre Cabanel, one of the greatest French painters of the Second Empire. Other than in Trois-Pistoles, his work can only be seen at the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Not in bad company.

In 1954, a vast restoration project was carried out by the Arts appliqués de Québec, under the direction of Italian-born painter Mario Mauro. The paintings and Stations of the Cross were restored, and a faux marble finish was added to the columns.

Since then, snow has indeed fallen on the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church. And like the first snowfall of the season, its grandiose character never fails to cast a spell on those who see it.